


Fuzzy Slippers

by AJshook



Series: The Lightweaver Chronicles [1]
Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: F/M, Lightweaver, Post-World of Warcraft: Legion, Short Stories, World of Warcraft: Legion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-08
Updated: 2020-07-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:08:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24629053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AJshook/pseuds/AJshook
Summary: After a battle that nearly took the lives of her Demon Hunter friend and his brother, Ada'Lene is forced to deal with the consequences of her choice to absorb excess Fel Magic in order to save him.This is a short story I wrote to fill in a time gap between my RP group's World of Warcraft Campaign. It’s the first to feature my Blood Elf Priest, Ada’Lene Lightweaver. Like many of my WoW shorts, it was written for my RP group so, much of the details are left out since the group knows everything that’s happened to Lene leading up to this moment. However, the general gist is Ada'Lene is dealing with absorbing pure Fel in order to save her friend's younger brother. Throughout this campaign, she's been forced to absorb sometimes large quantities of Fel. In this story, she's finally feeling the repercussions of those actions. If you’d like to know some of the details surrounding what happened, send me an ask and I’d be happy to fill it in for you!
Relationships: Female Blood Elf | Elves/Male Blood Elf | Elves (Warcraft)
Series: The Lightweaver Chronicles [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1780693





	Fuzzy Slippers

**Author's Note:**

> A Note on Ada’s name: Ada’s full name is Ada’Lene and she has two sisters who go by Ada’Nara and Ada’Leya. The prefix “Ada” is an old tradition in her family for the female line. Her actual name is simply “Lene” and her sister’s: “Nara” and “Leya”. The group, however, doesn’t really know this and have always just referred to her as “Ada”. Up to this point, Lene has never been bothered to correct them since, at the time of this story, they don’t know her sisters and Lene has no incentive to introduce them. Ada is as good a name as any for her.

Ada’Lene sat in her room at a wooden desk in the Order’s new headquarters. The room was comfortable with a nice feather bed and a fireplace, but even the warmth of the fire couldn’t keep out the wet chill of Gilneas. At night, it seeped into her bones, and during the day, it left her hair damp and tangled. Siegfire’s machinations and Kaivus’ recovery were what kept her living in this cold, unwelcoming, Worgen-infested land. She was happy to do it but she dreamed of returning to the warm, golden glow of Quel’Thalas and her hawkstrider-feather bed covered with light, silk sheets. The only source of comfort she had in Gilneas came from her favorite fuzzy slippers she brought from Silvermoon right before Kaivus had been taken. 

At least the frigid breeze that crept through the small gaps between the window panes paired well with the work. Papers upon papers lined the perimeter of her desk detailing every spell Ada cast, every wound she healed, and every possible side effect. The priesthood was nothing if not diligent in their record keeping. Every healing spell she cast had to be documented; every result recorded and sent to the Temple for review and approval. Ada had a stack of twenty papers or so _just_ on Kaivus’ recovery ready to stick in the mail. Not that they could really undo what she had done, but it was a good checks and balances system; as long as the priests stayed honest. 

Once Ada signed the final form detailing what led to such extensive spell use she’d be done and able to relax for a while. Two copies of it sat in front of her, each carefully filled out but detailing two very different versions of the same incident. Some things were best kept away from the prying eyes of the Temple. It would be a mess if they knew she happily performed a soul transfer delivered by a rogue warlock. 

_Let the dead stay dead._

Ada’Lene remembered the words for the hundredth time since she’d returned Kaivus to his body. The lessons her instructors instilled in her compelled her to allow the dead to remain as they were. That was life and, while unpleasant, the way it worked. Not only were the risks of a delayed resurrection too high, but the stress of the Legion invasion had the Temple on edge and unwilling to accept any kind of assistance from Fel. 

Even though all of her instruction railed against her actions, Ada didn’t regret her decision and she knew she’d do it again in a heartbeat. 

_You’ve run every test imaginable, Lene. No side effects. No lingering Fel presence._

_Ergo, no corruption._

_This is a different situation and he’s fine._

_Kaivus. Is. Fine._

Ada strummed her fingers across the parchment and studied one of the forms she’d filled out: the honest account of the soul transfer. She glanced at the pile of papers labeled ‘Kaivus’ and then back at the pristine sheet of paper. It was a good argument, she had to admit. Her details and procedures were flawless. There was no way they would dare challenge what Ada had done nor would they succumb to old prejudices. Surely, they would agree that _this_ life was worth the risk. 

… 

… 

... 

She tore it in half. 

Ada tossed the pieces into the waste bin beside her desk and picked up the other paper; one that asserted a standard resurrection after the heavily wounded patient lost consciousness. It was the same quality the Temple had come to expect from her and, more importantly, it was nothing special. The evaluators would slide it across their desk without even a cocked eyebrow. With a tired smile, Ada picked up a quill and scratched her signature--Ada’Lene Lightweaver-- across its bottom before sinking into her chair. 

Ada looked out the window and saw sunlight peeking through the shutters. She groaned and rubbed the dust out of her eyes; another night without sleep. How many had that been? Two? It was like being on the frontlines again. There was always some enemy refusing to back down or a new wound to clean. It didn’t leave any room for sleeping--just healing and fighting. Regardless, she had to get downstairs. Kaivus always woke up before her and managed to hurt himself _again_. Ada was fairly certain he was doing it on purpose to avoid getting back into his rigorous training with Lahkrimosa. If it kept up Ada would have to make good on the threat of tying him to a toilet. 

Who was she kidding? He knew she wouldn’t do it. 

Damnit. He was going to force her to tie him to a toilet, wasn’t he? 

Exhaustion pulled her further into the chair. Ada gave into it and closed her eyes, let her shoulders fall, and stretched her legs out in front of her, crossing them at the ankles. Just a short rest before the start of the day. If Kaivus hurt himself she’d just heal him and fill out another form. What was the worst thing he could possibly do?... Die -- but that was unlikely to happen without a lot of noise. 

As soon as she let herself relax from her work the unwanted reminders crept in. They’d been waiting for her, gnawing at the outer edges of her thoughts; missed chances and clues that Ada failed to see because she hadn’t tried hard enough. Krissica dead and Ada too far away--too preoccupied to pull her to safety. Then there was Siegfire speaking through Kaivus and flaunting his victory in front of everyone. If she hadn’t left for Silvermoon that day none of it would have happened. Ada’Lene kicked off her slippers; she didn’t deserve warm toes. She tilted her head back against the high backed chair and closed her eyes. She wouldn’t let these memories expend any more of her energy and so she pushed them down again. After a time her feet found their way back to the warm confines of her slippers as she dozed off into a light sleep. 

That’s when memories not even her own flooded into her dreams. 

The nightmare was never so much about the event as it was about the _emotions_ attached to it. Ada didn’t have to know what happened to understand the monumental damage it had done to Qeldaras. She saw the face of a woman, infected with Fel, who attacked ‘Ada’ with deranged ferocity. The image faded quickly and then the feelings followed: an overwhelming sense of sorrow, regret, and anger. The sorrow Ada felt wasn’t akin to the crises she had experienced in her own life. It was stretched taut and thin like an overworked strip of tanned hide -- cracked and ready to snap. The cracks multiplied, blistered, and hardened around her heart. It made her feel as if she were underwater and out of air. The regret was fainter but it lingered for much longer and pulsed like an infection. It engorged itself upon the sorrow until the sorrow could do nothing but whimper. Then the anger began to stir. It was far more painful than any of the others. It was a war drum that resounded in an empty stone hall. A rhythm that polluted her thoughts and reverberated across every vein until it numbed the regret, squashed what remained of the sorrow, and left vengeance in place. 

Filled with pain that was very much alive and not completely hers, Ada began to panic. She awoke from her brief respite with a jolt and toppled out of her chair. The heavy oak seat drummed against the hardwood floor. She clamored to her feet and stumbled into the desk knocking a pile of papers on to the floor. In a rage, she grabbed the arcane lamp that lit her desk and threw it against the wall. Glass shattered and tumbled across the desk and hardwood floor. Tears stung her eyes and wet her cheeks as her chest heaved. Ada stared down at her trembling hands and for a moment she saw Qeld’s, covered in blood, overlapping her own. She clutched the edge of the desk and sobbed. 

She heard a loud voice call out from below. “Ada? Are you okay? I’m coming!” 

_Kaivus._

She heard him bounding up the stairs, probably taking them two at a time. 

Ada looked around the demolished room and caught a glance of herself in a mirror, her eyes went wide. 

_NO._

Ada lurched from her position at the desk and sprinted across the room. A jagged piece of glass ripped through the thin cushion of her slipper and buried itself into the arch of her foot but she didn’t miss a step. She reached the door just in time to prevent Kaivus from rushing in. The resistance only made Kaivus push harder and for a moment it became a struggle he was about to win. 

“I’m naked!” Ada yelled. 

“Wha--? I’m _so_ sorry!” The door immediately slammed shut. “I thought someone from Siegfire’s new order had come. Are you okay? Do you need any help?” 

“...You want to help me get dressed?” 

“Uuh...” 

Ada laughed. 

“I pulled my robes off the chair too fast and busted a lamp. I’m great at healing, terrible at day to day tasks. I’m alright but you’re still hurting, remember? Get back downstairs and prep for treatment. I’ll be there as soon as I clean up.” There was a long pause. “I’m okay, Kaivus.” 

She began to worry that he wouldn’t buy it. 

“Ada.” 

“Yeah?” 

“I think I broke my toe on the way up the stairs.” 

Ada lightly pounded her forehead against the door and smiled. 

“I’ll take care of you.” 

She heard Kaivus withdraw from the door with less enthusiasm than when he came up. Ada let out a deep breath she hadn’t known she was keeping in. 

_Definitely, the right thing to do._

Ada’Lene wiped the tears from her eyes. She stared in the mirror at the mess she had become. Her red hair was frazzled, her cheeks were red, and her eyes were a little swollen. The wound on her foot throbbed and she could feel blood seeping into her slipper. Ada cursed softly as she limped to her bed. 

_I’ll never be able to get that clean._

Ada’lene sat down and removed the slipper from her foot. Around the frayed fabric there was already a small dark stain. Ada’lene frowned and tossed the shoe to the side. 

She grabbed a pair of tweezers and removed the piece of glass from her foot before using a little bit of Light to heal the wound before sliding the slipper back onto her foot. She washed her face and pulled her hair from the ruined bun. She didn’t have the energy to do much else with her hair so she ran a brush through it letting the deep red, pin-straight hair hang free past her shoulders. Ada pushed down any residual emotions and put her weariness on hold. By the time she was finished straightening up, she almost felt like herself again. She left her room and started down the stairs. 

“Kaivus, I’m going to break your other toe, okay? That way you’ll match!” 


End file.
